1920.] 



Notes on Poultry Feeding. 



225 



for the most part dirty, stale and very expensive in view of 

 their feeding vahie. Indeed, as matters stand at present it 

 is better to omit mixed grain feeds entirely, and feed separate 

 wheat, oats, and maize, in the ration of 2 : 2 : i — that is, feeding 

 wheat twice, oats twice, and maize once in every 5 davs. 



These grains, while being expensive, are likely to prove the 

 most economical grain feeds now available. Samples are 

 available at the following prices per cwt. for small lots, 

 (wholesale prices would, of course, be cheaper) : — ^Wheat, 20s. ; 

 oats, 23s. ; maize, 25s. At these prices the separate grain 

 feeds are a good deal more economical than the available 

 mixtures. 



Turning to the question of mash feeds, at present prices 

 bran, sharps, clover meal, crushed oats and fish meal in the 

 following proportions, i : 9 : 2 : 2 : 4, mixed with whatever 

 roots are available, will prove the most economical. Two parts 

 maize meal may be added to the mixture if it is available, but 

 at the present price of 27s. per cwt. it is a dear feed. There 

 is no immediate prospect of food becoming cheaper, and in 

 view of the winter scarcity of green food, clover meal at 125. 

 per cwt. is worth stocking. Prices for other offal in small 

 lots are, per cwt. : — bran, i6s.; sharps, i8s. ; crushed oats, 

 26s. 6d. Taking the year through an attempt should be made 

 to keep the feeding cost down to the price of one egg per w^eek 

 per bird — that is to say, with eggs averaging 4s. per doz., 

 feeding costs should not exceed 4d. per bird per week. This 

 assures financial stability. In this connection the foUowing 

 table of the feeding costs at the Harper Adams Agricultural 

 College Laying Trials may prove interesting, and it will be 

 noticed that the ideal aimed at has not yet been attained. 

 \Miile feeding costs have averaged ^Id. per bird, eggs have 

 only averaged 4d. each. This difference will probably be wiped 

 out when the full 12 months' results are available. 



Feeding Cost in Relation to Ei^i^ Production {Per Bird), 



Weight of Value of 



Month. 



Weight of No. of Value of 

 ' Eggs. Eggs. Eggs. 



consumed'^ consumed' 

 lb. s. d. 



6-7 I 5i 



6-6 I 10 



Food Food 



5 Months Average 



ist 

 2nd 



3rd 

 4th 

 5th 



oz. s. d. 



i<^-4 8-4 3 5 



23-7 I2-6I 5 4i 



28- 9 I4'i9 ^ oi 

 36-5 17-74 5 Hi 

 40-49 19-85 4 8i 



29- 59 14*55 5 I 



6-64 I 3i 



6-54 I 4 



6- 62 I 2 



6-62 15 



Does not include Vegetables. 



